noun
hard cover; stiff cover
Refers to the rigid outer cover of a book, as opposed to a soft or flexible cover.
この本は硬表紙でできているので、長持ちしそうだ。
This book has a hard cover, so it looks like it will last a long time.
ソフトカバー refers to a soft cover, the opposite of 硬表紙.
Compound of 硬 (かた, 'hard') and 表紙 (びょうし, 'cover'). The reading びょうし is a standard rendaku form of ひょうし.